1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to techniques for compressing and then winding fibrous mats so an to allow them to be wrapped and packed until they reach their place of use. The flexible fibrous mats, in particular those consisting of glass wool or rock wool intended for insulation, are usually wound up on themselves in a very tight manner so as to prevent them from occupying too great a volume during their transport. The greater the compression ratio of the fibrous mat, the cheaper the transport and storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, production lines operate continuously and deliver mats of indefinite length. The latter are cut so as to provide rolls whose width and length correspond to the needs of the user. On insulating glass mat production lines there are winders whose operation is more or less automated.
In order to fulfill their functions, these machines must possess a certain number of basic characteristics. They must compress the wool mats as much as possible and in the same manner over their entire length, but they must also avoid damaging the fiber and the binder which constitute the insulating mat.
Moreover, it is important for the series of operations to be performed at a sufficient speed to be compatible with the output speed of the mat. This point is particularly important for modern lines whose production capability it is often desired to increase. In order to do this, many upstream units for producing glass or rock fibers are used, all these units successively feeding the same mat whose output speed depends, other things being equal, upon the number of machines upstream. From this point of view it is particularly important for the winders to avoid non-productive times. The ideal winder would be a machine which would wind the mat at the speed at which it passes down the production line without any non-productive time between the end of one mat and the beginning of the next mat. Thus the winding speed would be minimal and would avoid all the drawbacks such as premature wear, breakdown and so on.